Fletcher: Better schools a moral imperative

Editor's note: The job description for mayor of San Diego includes no mention of a role with the San Diego Unified School District in particular, or even education in general. But, with the school district in turmoil, education has become a significant issue for all four front-running candidates for mayor. In the second of a series of commentaries written at the request of the U-T San Diego Editorial Board, the candidates were asked to describe the appropriate role for the mayor in education issues.

I will be a mayor actively involved in improving our public education system. As a parent, it is on my mind daily. As a candidate for mayor committed to rebuilding our economic base, it is vital; and as someone who believes every child should be afforded a quality education, which is the access point to the American dream, it is a moral imperative.

Some have suggested that it’s not appropriate for the mayor to talk about education. I disagree. Every elected official at every level of government must be concerned about our classrooms, teachers and schools. If our city can find time to talk about harbor seals and fireworks, we can make the time to talk about education.

In May 2010, City Council President Tony Young and I kicked off a seven-month listening tour. The focus of this tour was to get a better understanding of San Diego’s education climate, and to find new ideas and existing programs that are successfully making a difference in the lives of our children. There are thousands of teachers and volunteers working hard each day to prepare our kids for tomorrow. It is now time to turn those ideas into action.

San Diego mayoral candidate essays

A series of commentaries on San Diego’s major issues written by the four front-running candidates at the request of the U-T San Diego Editorial Board.

An educated, dynamic workforce is necessary to create and grow a healthy, robust economy. The two go hand-in-hand. Without an educated workforce – one tailored to the job demands of our region – it’s much more difficult to build our economy and put San Diegans to work.

Education and its impact on our workforce is a top concern among the business leaders I talk to about the future of San Diego. Many companies have good-paying, quality local jobs available, but aren’t able to fill them because they can’t find workers with the skills needed in the new economy. We are not doing enough to prepare our children for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

As mayor, I am committed to bringing a new energy, a new vision and a new way of thinking to lead our region. But in order to adequately prepare our region for the jobs and economy of the 21st century, we must focus on education.

Education isn’t just an economic issue; it is also a moral issue. Fifty-eight percent of Latino students in San Diego Unified aren’t reading at grade level. This is unacceptable. We must make sure we give every child access to the American dream.

In the coming weeks, I will unveil my education plan. It is a robust and aggressive plan that will build on what’s working in our schools now. It will increase public-private partnerships and end the digital divide for K-12 students. We will work with innovative companies to form partnerships and ensure our children are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. And we will give hardworking teachers and schools additional tools to help them accomplish their mission.